FITNESS AS AN AGE EXTENDER: LIVING ON FLEX TIME

Men don’t stretch. And for good reason: They hate it.

“Stretching’s just not fun,” says Janet Sobel, a physical therapist and clinical specialist at National Rehab Hospital/Suburban Regional Rehab in Chevy Chase, Maryland. “The results aren’t visible. No muscles bulge. And you don’t look cool doing it.”

But stretching is a joint-saver, according to Sobel, as well as a circulation-promoter, a performance-enhancer, and an injury-preventer. All of those things are important for disease prevention. “Stretching doesn’t directly decrease the likelihood of disease,” Sobel says. “But by enabling you to exercise without injury, it enables you to do what you need to do to minimize your disease risk.”

Here’s how to ride the stretch limousine to better health.

Stretch daily (or almost). “Stretching should be like brushing your teeth,” says Barbara Sanders, Ph.D., chairman of the physical therapy department at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos. “It should be part of your daily routine.” Since we’re talking about only a few minutes to do a handful of stretches that require no equipment, you’ll probably find seven days a week doable and even enjoyable. But five is an acceptable minimum, Sobel says. “You’re not going to see results if you do it every other day,” she says. “But if you do it five days a week, it will pay off.”

Hold the stretch, but not your breath. To get the big benefits, you should hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat two or three times, Sobel says. And hold it still – no bouncing. At first you’ll notice a temptation to hold your breath as you hold the stretch. Resist it. “Breathing is very important,” Sobel says. “If you don’t breathe, you’re going to tighten up and it will hurt. That’s counterproductive.”

Stretch for as long as it takes. And that’s not very long. The only requirement is to work all the major body areas. “A basic stretch routine will be six to eight stretches,” Sobel says. Three repetitions of six stretches at 20 seconds each is six minutes. You spend more time than that looking for your bathrobe in the morning.

Just do what you can. What’s the most annoying moment in those stretching classes at your health club? How about when the instructor tells you not to worry if you can’t go “all the way” in some stretch that looks like it was invented by one of those contortionists in Chinese circuses? All the way? You can’t even begin it.

Don’t even try, Sobel advises. “Get as close as you can until you feel a comfortable pull, but not pain,” she says. “Be attentive to your body’s signals. Each person has his own genetic design, and you want to achieve your own potential, not someone else’s. Ultimately, you’ll get there.”

*47/36/5*

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